W-League Feature
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – Pali Blues forward Mackenzy Doniak helped the top-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (23-1-0) advance to the NCAA women’s quarterfinals Sunday when she scored 30 seconds into the second half to spark a 2-0 victory against Wake Forest. Freshman Alexis Shaffer sent a ball off the Wake Forest post and it fell to Doniak, who tapped in her team-leading 19th goal of the season.
Washington Spirit Reserves defender Molly Menchel played the full 90 minutes for Virginia as it held Wake Forest without a shot on goal. The win sets up a meeting Friday at Virginia against the Michigan Wolverines (18-3-1), who defeated Notre Dame 1-0 on Sunday to advance to the quarterfinals for the second time in the 20-year history of the program. The Wolverines were led by Ottawa Fury defenders Shelina Zadorsky and Holly Hein, who helped shut down the potent Notre Dame attack, while Laval Comets star Nkem Ezurike paced Michigan’s attack with five shots on goal.
Elsewhere, the Florida State Seminoles (21-1-3) continued their march through the NCAA field with an impressive 4-0 victory against Colorado, with Pali Blues defender Kassey Kallman contributing her first assist of the season. Former Colorado Rush goalkeeper Kelsey Wys was only called on for a single save as the Seminoles head back to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA championship for the ninth consecutive year, extending the nation's longest active streak. The North Jersey Valkyries’ Nickolette Driesse and VSI Tampa Bay FC’s Kacy Scarpa also saw significant minutes for the Seminoles in the win.
FSU will be home once again on Friday to welcome the Boston College Eagles (13-9-1), who defeated Illinois 4-1 on Sunday. Colby Woeltz, a W-20 standout with FC Stars of Massachusetts in 2013, helped shut down a potent Illinois attack as the Eagles moved on.
Colorado Rush goalkeeper Dayle Colpitts recorded eight saves in the run of play and then stopped three of four shots in a penalty shootout on Sunday afternoon to lift Virginia Tech (18-4-2) past Santa Clara 3-1 on penalty kicks and into the quarterfinals. Freshman Murielle Tiernan opened the scoring for the Hokies in the 55th minute, but Seattle Sounders Women forward Sofia Huerta equalized for Santa Clara nine minutes later.
In the penalty shootout, Washington Spirit Reserves midfielder Katie Yensen and freshman Candace Cephers scored for the Hokies in the first three attempts, while Colpitts turned away two of Santa Clara's first three shots. After Colpitts pushed aside the Broncos' fourth attempt, Tiernan again stepped up, slamming the ball into the top of the net to give the Hokies the win.
Virginia Tech will host one of the tournament’s surprise survivors, the Duke Blue Devils, Friday in Blacksburg. Duke (9-8-6), which upset the Florida Gators in the second round, outlasted Arkansas 5-3 in a penalty kick shootout on Sunday to advance. Duke and the Razorbacks finished the game deadlocked at 2-2 as four-year Long Island Rough Riders star Kim DeCesare registered both goals in regulation for the Blue Devils. Washington Spirit Reserves midfielder Kara Wilson was one of the Blue Devils who converted in the shootout.
The final quarterfinal matchup will see the UCLA Bruins (20-1-2) travel to face the UNC Tar Heels Saturday in Chapel Hill. UCLA leaned heavily on its stable of Pali Blues – Sam Mewis, Abby Dahlkemper, Sarah Killion, Caprice Dydasco and Jenna Richmond – to shut down Pali teammate Chi Ubogagu as well as the LA Strikers’ Lo’eau Labonta and Ottawa’s Taylor Uhl in a 2-0 win against Stanford. The Cardinal had eliminated the Bruins in three of the past four seasons, but Mewis set up both goals to send UCLA through.
Thanks to the contributions of Pali Blues defender Satara Murray, North Carolina (20-4-0) was able to shut out Texas A&M 2-0 Sunday despite losing team leaders and former Long Island Rough Rider Crystal Dunn early in the match to an injury. With longtime Atlanta Silverbacks star Alexa Newfield also sidelined, LA Strikers midfielder Brooke Elby was among the players who stepped up to see the Tar Heels through to the next round.